2011 Article Archive

December 2011

FEATURES

Chest Scans and Dose
Researchers have outlined strategies for how to optimize radiation dose for chest CT, a commonly performed exam and one that exposes some of the most radiosensitive organs in the human body.

Pediatric Imaging — Distraction Techniques Improve Patient Care
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh employed some creative and kid-friendly techniques to distract patients from the reality of medical imaging. Not only did the facility see CT procedure volume increase 18%, but sedations for such procedures dropped 97% within two years.

ASTRO Reporter’s Notebook
A summary of noteworthy news from the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s annual meeting in October

Irreversible Electroporation
This interventional oncology procedure may provide a more precise alternative to radio-frequency ablation in some cancer patients.

Flexible Scheduling
Imaging facilities may be able to cut costs and improve service by making the traditionally fixed expense of staffing resemble a variable expense by splitting some full-time jobs among several part-time workers.

August 2011

FEATURES

11 Planning Lessons Learned
Imaging staff from Georgia’s Meadows Regional Medical Center share lessons they learned while transitioning their department to a new facility in hopes of helping others attempting the same process.

Going RIS-Less?
For teleradiology or other groups doing only outside reads, a Web-based information system may make more sense than RIS.

July 2011

FEATURES

Images on the Move
Radiologists offer their take on how MIMvista, the first mobile application to receive FDA 510(k) approval as a diagnostic app, will fit into imaging workflow.

CT in the ER
Recent data have illustrated CT’s increased usage in the emergency department, although radiologists and emergency physicians often view the risks and benefits of such increased radiation exposure differently.

SNM Reporter’s Notebook
We’ve compiled some noteworthy news from the SNM annual gathering in San Antonio last month.

June 2011

FEATURES

Information Not-So-Super Highway
Imaging Associates of North Mississippi Magnolia found a way to get maximum use from less-than-maximum bandwidth, allowing for improved communication among providers in the network and better patient care.

ARRS CT & MR Reporter’s Notebook
Read about some of the latest CT and MR news presented during the recent American Roentgen Ray Society annual scientific meeting in Chicago.

Dr. Oz, Thyroid Shields & Mammography
Last year, the popular TV doctor recommended that women request thyroid shields to wear during their mammograms. His message went viral and ultimately led to a debate with radiology experts in an April episode.

May 2011

FEATURES

Winds of Change
A National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering project currently under way is attempting to provide a new model for exchanging patient records in which patients exhibit more control.

Managing a Data Breach
Being thorough is priority No. 1 when establishing a policy that takes the guesswork out of managing disclosures.

Prostate Embolization
New research looks at the possibility of shrinking enlarged prostate glands the same way interventionalists treat fibroids, with the potential to reduce complications commonly associated with current treatments.

SIR Reporter’s Notebook
Here’s a sampling of some news worth noting from the latest annual meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology.

January 2011

5 Things to Watch in 2011
Dose reduction and teleradiology’s evolution are just two of the five things that bear watching in the coming year.

What Next?
The NLST showed a mortality benefit for screening certain smoking populations with CT scans. What remains to be seen is whether and how those results will translate into screening recommendations.

Treating Prostate Cancer
Much of the research presented at last fall’s ASTRO meeting focused on ways to better image and treat prostate cancer.